Valve

Amper Software, the team behind Team Fortress: Source 2, and James Lambert, the dev working on Portal 64, have stated that they’re ending development of their fan projects following cease and desist demands from Valve. Team Fortress: Source 2 was a fan project aiming to port Valve’s 2007 multiplayer shooter, Team Fortress 2, over to the newer Source 2 engine. While the team had paused development in September, they were hoping to resume at some point, but the DMCA has made that pause permanent. Meanwhile, Portal 64 is a…

Valve has released updated guidelines on its policy regarding generative AI usage in games that will enable them “to release the vast majority of games that use it.” Back in June, some developers reported that their submissions were rejected by Valve due to them containing AI-generated assets. Valve responded by stating that they were looking into the use of the technology, with the concern being that generative AI pulls from copyrighted material to create content. Having considered the state of the technology, Valve has…

Turning 20 this year, Half-Life 2 is held aloft as one of the greatest first-person shooters ever made. While the 2004 game still holds up visually, a team of modders has been hard at work giving Valve’s classic a bit of a spit-shine. At CES 2024, the Half-Life 2 RTX Remix project released a new trailer, showing the work that’s so far gone into the Nvidia-powered graphical improvement. In this instance, we get to see what Ravenholm looks like in all its shiny glory. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nIE9gQt6WXQ It’s an…

Valve has introduced new rules to abide by that will allow the company to add more games with AI content to its Steam gaming platform. To start with, it's updating its content survey form for developers so that they can give the company a description of how they use artificial intelligence in their games. If they used AI tools to generate art, code, sound or any other kind of content for their title, developers must ensure that they do not include anything illegal or anything that infringes on someone else's copyright.…

Valve has issued new rules about how game developers can publish games that use AI technology on Steam. Writing in a blog post, the company says that it is “making changes to how we handle games that use AI technology” which mean that developers will need to disclose when their games use it. The changes “will enable us to release the vast majority of games that use” AI, Valve’s post says.The changes appear designed to increase transparency around the use of AI in Steam games, while offering protections against the risks…

More than 14,000 titles were released on Steam in 2023. To say that it’s the top dog of the digital PC gaming world would be wholly accurate. Part of the reason it remains as popular as ever is all the sale events that occur, and the first one of this year is going live soon. The Steam Capitalism and Economy Fest officially kicks off later on today. If you head to the website now, you can see what’s likely to be featured. Everything from Brewpub Simulator to Cities Skylines to Planet Zoo is going to be part of the…

With literally thousands of games launching on Steam every year, sometimes it can be difficult to find the exact game you're looking for--especially when that game falls into a larger genre like first-person-shooters. Valve has made it easier for retro-minded shooter fans to find their next game, as the label "boomer shooter" has been added to Steam's database.The term "boomer shooter" refers to any FPS which bears a resemblance to the original Doom's format--whether the game in question is an original…

Let’s just get this out of the way: Valve is probably not going to make Portal 3 (boy is my face going to be red if I turn out to be wrong years from now). However, we can enjoy the fruits of the modding community that are keeping the franchise alive. One such example comes from James Lambert, a coder who’s just declared that their Portal 64 project is now out of beta. Or at least the first 13 chambers are, which is being referred to as the “First Slice.” You can download the project (in ROM form) in its current…

Jacob Roach / Digital Trends We all knew it was coming, but it’s still sad to see Windows 7, 8, and 8.1 go. Valve announced that it ended support for the three operating systems on January 1, 2024, essentially ending the life of the storied operating systems for the small batch of PC gamers still using them. We had a great run. Before we cry foul that Valve is shuttering Steam support for potential users, understand that Windows 7, 8, and 8.1 only make up a total of 0.89% of all Steam users. That’s not an…

Valve has unveiled its annual ‘Best of 2023' list on Steam, revealing which titles dominated sales on PC. The titles haven't been numerically ranked, but have been grouped into tiers — Platinum, Gold, Silver, and Bronze — based on data collected from January 1 through December 15, 2023. The Top 12 category is populated by both free-to-play multiplayer games and the biggest launches, with the award-winning Baldur's Gate 3, Starfield, Cyberpunk 2077, and Hogwarts Legacy emerging as the best-selling titles. Call of Duty:…